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Comics on Film #5: Tales from the Crypt (1972)

Sorry folks- it’s been a while since I last posted in this category- but at some point I will put up my other scores for the movies before this one.

Yes, this was a film based off of a comic magazine that was highly popular at the time. It functioned much the way the popular HBO series did with several smaller frightening tales encompassed the whole story. This movie was no exception.

Best Category: Faithfulness to comic material- all of the 5 yarns spun here were taken from older stories in this comic series. The setting of this meeting of 5 individuals is some old crypt where they are seemingly taking a tour of. A closed path and a mysterious door opening off to the side leads them to a cloaked figure sitting in a stone throne sculpted like a skeleton. From here, he tells them each of their deaths. I’ve checked out some of these old magazines and while our Cryptkeeper here doesn’t quite look the same, this model is derived from the series, as does the breaking of the 4th wall (Deadpool style) at the end when he invites you the viewer into his humble little abode.

Worst Category: Effects. Blood that looks like melted Jolly Ranchers and zombie effects that make the Blue Man Group look like Stan Winston made their outfits.

Personal Thoughts: I can remember the last tale “Blind Alleys” from watching it as a kid on , was that channel called Epic? That showed old movies? Anyways, I’ve always remembered the hallway of razor blades. I enjoyed this movie’s style; the way real effects were used (it really looks like the wife in the first tale threw her husband down the stairs, Major Rogers dog eating real meat) and the creepy music as well, especially the opening and ending themes. The sound quality of my version was overly loud and sounded like their was record static playing the whole time in the background. I liked the tale about Mr. Grimsdyke and Blind Alleys but they all had really bad aspects to them as well. ….And All Through the House had some good thriller elements to it and I liked the setting but the climax and the way that maniac literally seconds after it’s announced on the radio shows up at her house is so ludicrous it nearly took me out of it; he holds his hands out and mumbles like a zombie himself and it’s pretty awful. The end was a bit of a neat twist and a nice wrap up to something that did feel like a visual horror magazine.

58/100

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Published by mrbobomb

I'm a 33 year old Capricorn...sorry...confused. I'm a dad with a beautiful daughter and wonderful wife who loves to write and dig into all things pop culture, especially comics, movies, games, etc. AND WRITING (which will mainly be what this is about) View all posts by mrbobomb